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Founded by Tom Kartsotis in 1984.1
Fossil was founded in 1984 as Overseas Products International by Tom Kartsotis, a former Texas A&M University student living in Dallas from a suggestion by his older brother, Kosta Kartsotis, a merchandising executive at Sanger-Harris. Kosta told his younger brother about the potential large profits that could be made in importing retail goods made in the Far East, specifically in importing moderately-priced fashion watches. Their main product was fashion watches with a retro look. In 1990, they introduced leather goods under the Fossil brand, and the Relic line of watches.
Fossil had its initial public offering in 1993.
Zodiac Watches was a Swiss brand that had been operating since 1882 when Fossil acquired it from Genender International in 2001 for $4.7 million. Fossil's desire to establish a Swiss presence led to the purchase of the Zodiac Watch brand and a complete retooling of that line to reflect a retro modern 1970s style in a higher end watch. The 2004 purchase of Michele Watch completed the cycle by offering a high-end Swiss watch with a designer flair.
In September 2007, Fossil was accused of infringing a patent owned by Financial Innovations Systems, LLC, in a lawsuit filed in the Northern District of Texas. The case was settled for an undisclosed amount and dismissed shortly thereafter.
The Watch Station International chain was purchased from Luxottica/Sunglass Hut in December 2007.
Fossil has design studios in Biel, Switzerland, close to Rolex as well as manufacturing facilities in China and distribution centers in Dallas, Germany, and Asia.
In 2012, Fossil, Inc. agreed to purchase Skagen Designs and some of its partners for approximately $225 million in cash and 150,000 Fossil shares. The total value paid by Fossil would be approximately $236.8 million.
In early 2013, Fossil introduced their upscale and more expensive "Fossil Swiss" line of watches which are made in Switzerland.
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In November 2015, Fossil acquired Misfit for $260 million, with plans to incorporate Misfit's technology into traditional-looking watches.
In 2021, the company cut their number of employees from 10,200 to 7,500.
In 2022, Fossil Group appointed Lisa Marie Pillette as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.
In January 2024, the company announced that it would leave the smartwatch business.
In October 2025, as part of a restructuring plan in the UK, the company sought US recognition and placed its US business in Chapter 15 bankruptcy.
From Wikipedia’s article on Fossil Group, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.8